Recording and Reporting racist Incidents guidance

Transcription

1 Recording and Reporting racist Incidents guidance

2 Racist incidents guidance 2 Introduction Racism is a problem affecting society as a whole: it is not something that occurs in isolation in schools. One key step towards creating a safe learning environment is ensuring that all forms of racism are tackled firmly as and when they occur, because no child can feel safe in an environment where racism is not challenged. If racist incidents are not dealt with in schools, then this will send a powerful message to children that racism is acceptable not only in schools but in society as a whole. incidents committed by different pupils. By schools taking the lead in sending a clear message that racism will not be tolerated, they can help improve their pupils lives and transform wider society. The Government s aim, as set out in Every Child Matters, is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need so they are able to learn and develop in a safe environment. The recent Education and Inspections Act 2006 reinforces this message and includes statutory duties in relation to diversity and choice, with a range of changes around the way schools and local authorities interact, the way parents take responsibility for their children s behaviour in school, and the way schools look after their pupils. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report (1999) highlighted the likelihood of institutional racism in the policies and practices of large public sector organisations. This was a challenge to any organisation s complacency about its approach to racism. The Report led to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000), which places a general duty on public authorities to: Eliminate unlawful racial discrimination; Promote equality of opportunity; Promote good race relations. We believe schools can make a positive contribution and help improve all children s lives, by creating a safe learning environment where all children feel valued and can enjoy and achieve. We believe that it is important that schools should react quickly and decisively to a single incident of racism if and as it occurs, rather than waiting until a pattern of bullying can be detected in a series of incidents. Racist bullying can take the form of a series of apparently unrelated incidents affecting the same child. Schools and local authorities should therefore take note of the cumulative effect on a child who may be being bullied by means of many single

3 Racist incidents guidance 3 Scope of this guidance This guidance offers advice and case studies to maintained schools 1 and local authorities on how to improve procedures for recording and reporting racist incidents. The guidance supports the Home Office document Community Cohesion Standards for Schools, DCSF/CRE- Home Office (2004), which emphasises the importance of the school s role in building social cohesion with clear standards. It is intended to be read alongside the DCSF Advice On Bullying around racism, religion and culture (2006). This comprehensive guidance found at www. teachernet.gov.uk addresses ways both to respond to and prevent racist bullying, and includes sections on how to deal with incidents, ways in which this topic can be addressed through the curriculum, staff training ideas and how schools can ensure they have effective measures in place to target racist bullying. What is racism? Racism or racialism is a form of discrimination based on race, especially the belief that one race is superior to another. Racism may be expressed individually and consciously, through explicit thoughts, feelings, or acts, or socially and unconsciously, through institutions that promote inequality between races. Types of racist incidents that can occur are: verbal abuse and threats; incitement of others to behave in a racist way; racist comments in the course of discussion; attempts to recruit others to racist organisations and groups; ridicule of an individual for cultural difference eg food, music, religion, dress; refusal to co-operate with other people because of their colour, ethnic origin or nationality; written derogatory remarks; any of the above forms of racial harassment, or any other discrimination by employers in connection with work placements or work experience. In this guidance, we refer to racist incidents rather than to racist bullying. This is because racist incidents is the term used by the Macpherson Report on the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the Home Office Guidance on Recording and Reporting Racist Incidents (2000) and because this conveys the importance of dealing with one off events, before a pattern emerges. We believe it is important to be consistent in the terms that are used to describe racist incidents. physical assault against a person or group because of colour, ethnicity or nationality; use of derogatory names, insults and racist jokes; racist graffiti; provocative behaviour such as wearing racist badges or insignia; bringing racist material into the school; 1 Maintained schools includes the new Trust schools, which are maintained foundation schools that have acquired a charitable trust to help improve standards for their pupils. They are subject to the same accountability regime as other Local authority maintained schools.

4 Racist incidents guidance 4 Racism and government legislation Racist incidents are considered by the criminal justice system to be more harmful than incidents that do not contain a racist component. Racist attacks are committed not only against a community but also, in the eyes of offenders themselves, on behalf of a community - offenders can see themselves as representative of, and supported in their racism by, their friends, family and peer group. It is therefore essential that a school should clearly show solidarity with and support for pupils who are attacked, and take care not to provide any kind of comfort or encouragement to the offenders, or to the group or community to which the offenders see themselves as belonging. The statutory duty requires educational establishments to take proactive steps to tackle racial discrimination, and promote equality of opportunity and good race relations. This is not to say that racist behaviour in schools should attract greater sanctions than other kinds of bullying. It does, however, mean that allegations of racist behaviour should be thoroughly investigated and that the educational task of reducing racist bullying should be taken extremely seriously. Incidents of course can be reported to appropriate authorities for the consideration of action under Section A of the Public Order Act (1986). The Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000) builds on the previous Race Relations legislation of 1976 and makes it clear that harassment on racial, ethnic or national grounds is unlawful. It places general and specific duties on all public bodies and requires public authorities to review their policies and procedures; to remove discrimination and the possibility of discrimination; and actively to promote race equality. In other words, public authorities are required not only to address unlawful discrimination where it occurs, but also to be proactive in preventing it from occurring. RRAA general duties that all public bodies must aim for are: eliminate unlawful racial discrimination; promote equality of opportunity; promote good relations between people of different racial groups. Specific duties that all educational establishments must comply with are: prepare a written policy on race equality; assess the impact of policies on different racial groups of pupils, staff and parents; in particular, assess and monitor the impact on pupils; make information available about their policies to promote race equality; take steps to publish annually the results of monitoring; take account of the RRA general duties for public bodies; comply with local authority policies and if appropriate, supply data.

5 Racist incidents guidance 5 UK race relations legislation also recognises Roma, Gypsies, Travellers of Irish Heritage, Jews and Sikhs as distinct racial groups. Schools and local authorities are required to treat anti-semitic and anti-sikh incidents as racist incidents. Less favourable treatment on the ground of a pupil s religion could also potentially be seen as indirect race discrimination. Although Muslims are not a distinct racial group, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act (2005) makes it an offence to stir up hatred against individuals on religious grounds. The Equality Act (2006) extends the discrimination law, with relevant exceptions for faith schools, to discrimination on the ground of religion or belief, or indeed lack of belief, in respect of treatment of pupils in schools and local authorities duties and obligations. School inspections Key findings from an Ofsted thematic inspection report 2 highlighted the crucial role played by school leadership, and by local authorities through their support and guidance, in ensuring that racist incidents were tackled effectively. Conversely, a perceived lack of confidence or lack of clear guidance could contribute to under-reporting of incidents. Ofsted s Self-Evaluation Form plays a crucial role in the new inspection procedures, and schools may wish to use the form to demonstrate links between their handling of racist incidents and their action plan on race equality. When Ofsted s inspectors or School Improvement Partners (SIPs) visit a school, they can ask for evidence to show what that school has been doing to tackle racism and promote harmony in the school community. The specific duties are: the school should make a judgement about how well it is developing a commitment to race equality; the school should produce an Equality Policy and implement an Action Plan. The outcomes of these aspects of evaluation are taken into account in reaching judgements on the quality of leadership and management, support and guidance as well as the overall effectiveness of the school. The racist incidents policies of most schools and local authorities were developed after the publication of the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The Ofsted Annual Report 2006/07 indicates that much has been achieved by local authorities and schools to handle race related incidents. But in the light of the growth of Europe and new arrivals, there is now a need to refresh and review these policies. For instance, schools and local authorities need to take account of: conflicts between different Black and minority ethnic groups; discrimination and prejudice against migrant workers from Eastern Europe, refugees and asylum seekers, Gypsy, Roma and Travellers of Irish Heritage; Islamophobia, especially after the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005.

6 Racist incidents guidance 6 KEY PRINCIPLES OF AN EFFECTIVE POLICY TO ADDRESS RACIST INCIDENTS It will be important that schools and local authorities think through for themselves the implications/ definition of the term racist incident. We strongly recommend that all schools and local authorities adopt the definition of a racist incident that was set out in Recommendation 12 of the Macpherson Report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry published in February any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. The use of the Macpherson definition is not to prejudge whether the perpetrator s motives were racist or not, but to ensure that the possibility of a racist dimension to the incident is always considered and explored. The Macpherson definition is broad and allows for unwitting or unintentional racism to be identified and reported. This definition may potentially include apparently trivial or innocuous actions - such as jokes, or other everyday behaviour. These can have a cumulative effect on children, and can also contribute to a general atmosphere of intimidation or harassment in the school. The Macpherson definition also includes such apparently victimless incidents such as racist graffiti where there is no obviously targeted victim. Overtly racist comments have no place in a classroom even in the course of legitimate debate on religious and racial issues. Racism can occur between members of any ethnic groups. It should also be borne in mind that a racist incident, that can occur between members of the same broad ethnic category. It is still important that incidents such as these are tackled, in order to emphasise that the school does not tolerate racism in any form. The department strongly encourages schools and local authorities to look beyond the letter of this definition to its spirit. Incidents that are considered by school staff or the victim, or any other person, to be racist or racially motivated should be [treated] as such. The department would also advise that all incidents are dealt with sensitively and in the context in which they occur. It is better to record instances of unintentional racism than not to record them, as in this way a school or local authority can build up a picture of any emerging patterns. Schools should ensure they are sensitive and exercise common sense and have regard to the rights and protection of pupils whose behaviour is alleged to be unintentionally, in particular, when dealing with individual cases. Whole school approach Tackling racist incidents effectively is a key step that schools can take in promoting race equality. The legal responsibility for the school to meet the requirements of the RRA rests with the School Board of Management or Governing Body, who should maintain an overview of the implementation of their Race Equality Policy. Schools may be asked by the local authority or by Ofsted to demonstrate how they promote racial harmony and whether pupils are able to learn free from harassment and discrimination. Approaches taken will depend on the school s policy on behaviour and use of sanctions and support when dealing with other aspects of anti social behaviour, as well as the age of the children involved. It will therefore be important that all staff, including recently recruited staff, are aware of procedures to deal with racist incidents and support to tackle racial bias and stereotyping. We would also urge schools and local authorities to consider reporting incidents on a more frequent basis than once a year, in order to make their response more timely and relevant, and to increase confidence in the commitment of schools and local authorities to promoting race equality. Strong leadership from the school s governors and the school s senior management team on the unacceptability of racism will give staff the confidence to manage incidents w

7 Racist incidents guidance 7 A consistent and holistic approach to tackling racist incidents depends on all staff reaching a consensus on what constitutes racist behaviour, and racist incidents. Teachers should challenge all forms of racism and religious hatred as and when they occur - as bullying or name-calling, for instance. Schools may wish to seek support and advice from their local authority, or from their Race Equality Council. The Police may also be a valuable source of advice, perhaps through a local Safer Schools Partnership if there is one in the area. Schools may wish to consider putting the Macpherson definition of a racist incident in words that are appropriate to the age and understanding of their pupils. Some schools have found it helpful to involve students in writing the definition, as a means of ensuring that pupils understand and feel responsible for their school s commitment to equality. Schools should ensure that parents and carers are aware of the school s policy and procedures on racism and bullying. Schools should encourage parents and carers to inform the school about racist incidents which their children talk to them about. They should also feel confident that the school will take appropriate action to resolve the situation. Such actions should form part of the whole school policy and approaches to combat racism within the community. Case study: At a village school in the West Midlands with 120 pupils, of whom five have a minority ethnic background, governors and staff were shaken when one of the minority ethnic pupils complained about racism in the playground. The behaviour was subtle (exclusion from a friendship group rather than explicit and vicious namecalling) and the school could almost certainly have taken the easy option, if it had wanted to, of ignoring the complaint or making light of it. The head and governors decided, however, to take the complaint entirely seriously. There was much discussion with parents, staff and pupils. Procedures were agreed for ensuring that staff were more aware of pupils experiences and feelings, and for ensuring that complaints about prejudice and racism were rigorously and sensitively investigated and dealt with. The school extended the work it was already doing on cultural diversity, for example to do with festivals and world faiths; and there was increased attention to preparing all pupils for life in a multi-ethnic society. Source: Aiming High: understanding the needs of minority ethnic pupils in mainly white schools, DCSF, 2004 Schools arrangements It is important that schools follow recording and reporting requirements: schools are encouraged to record all racist incidents and report them at least annually to their local authority; Schools are encouraged to discuss procedures and format for reporting and recording racist incidents with the local authority.. Since March 2004, schools have been required to record reasons for permanent exclusions - this includes racist incidents. Schools should ensure that, where a child is permanently excluded for a racist incident, this is recorded on the local exclusions form and recorded on the racist incident form used by their local authority. Schools should not hesitate to report racist incidents to the local authority, as information may help to identify potential racist bullying within the school and/or wider community. Local authorities should clearly explain that reporting incidents do not necessarily point to a problem within a particular school, but instead highlight that the school is sensitive to the issue of racism, creating an ethos where children feel safe to report racist incidents. Governors Headteachers should ensure that governors are aware of racist incidents, particularly where serious or persistent offences occur. This should be part of a report on the school s race equality policy action plan. It should cover trends and year groups involved. A senior member of staff or a governor should be responsible for ensuring that the policy is implemented and for monitoring reports of racist behaviour, seeking to establish reasons for trends and action planning accordingly.

8 Racist incidents guidance 8 However, it is important that this information does not prejudice the governors ability to act impartially and appropriately in any subsequent disciplinary action or appeal. This applies whether pupils or staff are involved. The department recommends that if the authority requires annual reports, that a report to the Governors is made in the autumn cycle of meetings so that the information can be included in the annual School Profile. Schools and local authorities are reminded that their procedures for collecting and keeping records of racist incidents should comply with the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the Data Protection Act (1998). thus be better informed in order to develop appropriate policies to tackle them, as well as to support and challenge its schools in their duty to promote race equality. Nevertheless, we recognise that there is a risk of under-reporting, and that is why we suggest that local authorities probe returns from schools that have recorded no racist incidents for a year or longer. Teachers and other staff Staff may need to attend appropriate training organised by the local authority, in order to identify and challenge racist bias and stereotyping and to help maintain racial equality between children of different backgrounds and communities. New staff should be inducted into the processes. Pupils It is important that the victim of any racist incident is informed of any investigation and the outcome. Pupils who may have witnessed an incident need also to be aware of the outcome. Pa rents & carers In communicating with parents and carers, it is important for them to be aware of the actions the school is taking and why. Local authority arrangements It is for each local authority to decide how often its schools should report any racist incidents. A local authority that normally collects information once a year may decide to call for an extra report in periods of high international, national and regional tension. The purpose of reporting incidents to the local authority is to enable the gathering of information on the number and nature of racist incidents in its schools, and to identify any developing trends. The local authority should analyse the information gathered from schools to identify areas of concern, any developing trends, and Cast study: Witchford Village College (WVC) a secondary school with over 800 pupils, has, over time, developed an extended understanding of the culture, characteristics and pertinent needs of its many Traveller and Gypsy students. WVC take the view that all children, regardless of their background, belong and racism is unacceptable.

9 Racist incidents guidance 9 WVC react firmly and fairly to all racist events and are registered at the Racist Reporting Centre, where all such incidents are reported online. The centre creates an opportunity for all schools and colleges to report the details of every incident, those involved and the action taken. The data profiles incidents and individual culprits who repeatedly offend. The data is also used to educate students to respect and learn about the rich vein of other cultures and to celebrate their varied traditions. A particular feature of the racist reporting system is to send a formal letter to the parents of the perpetrators, outlining the offence and advising that it has been reported. At WVC, this approach has led to better engagement with parents and the wider community in addressing prejudice and combating anti Gypsy and Traveller feeling. WVC commitment to supporting Traveller and Gypsy children has meant parents are comfortable about sending children to the College. This has led to many Gypsy and Traveller students remaining in education and completing the secondary phase of their education to examination level. Source: contributed during consultations for this document. Build commitment to anti-racism throughout the school community It is important that pupils and everybody in the school community understand what is meant by a racist incident, and what actions the school will take to tackle racist incidents, should they occur. Schools should make their position clear in their race equality policy or other relevant policies, such as their anti-bullying and behaviour policies. But regardless of which policy a school prefers to use, it is important that there should be consistency between its race equality policy and anti-bullying policy. It is also important that there should be consistency with the school s policy on exclusions. It is important that the whole school community is aware of, and fully committed to anti-racist policy. The school s policy on tackling racism and racist incidents should be publicised to parents and pupils, for example through the School Profile. Parents want their children to be valued and flourish, and recognise the value of a school s ethos in achieving the best education for their children. Schools may wish to consult parents when developing their race equality and anti-bullying policies. All schools should ensure that all pupils and their parents know and understand the school s policy and the range of appropriate sanctions that will be faced by those who commit racist incidents. It is also important that all pupils understand that they have a responsibility to deal with racism and racist incidents in their school. Good ways to achieve this include discussions in citizenship lessons, through circle-time, or at a school council. Cast Study: In a selective school in the Home Counties the only Jewish boy at the school complained to his teachers of being bullied by a fellow pupil of British Pakistani heritage, aided and supported by various others. The boy was called a Christ killer and a murderer of Palestinians. He was told he would face retribution for crimes committed by Jews, and that the Holocaust had never happened. The bullying took place not only in school but also on the train home on a daily basis. He became withdrawn and started refusing to go to school. The school approached the local authority s support service for minority ethnic achievement for guidance and support. The link consultant then set up meetings with the senior leadership team about how best to handle the case. The parents of the boys were requested to come to the school and discussions were held with them. It was decided that the best way forward was to invite the local imam and the Jewish family s rabbi to take part in the discussions. Both spoke about the incidents to the boys responsible and to their parents. They also gave support to the Jewish boy and to his family. The imam spoke at Friday prayers to the local Muslim community about the need for peace and reconciliation. The link consultant followed up this work by conducting an assembly that discussed the impact of racist bullying and in PSHE classes the students had opportunities

10 Racist incidents guidance 10 with their teachers to explore the issues more closely and come to conclusions about the negative impact racism and bullying had on the school community. No further incidents of racist bullying occurred. Source: contributed during consultations for teachernet website Racist incidents outside school premises or not involving pupils Pupils may be subject to racist bullying and harassment on their journeys to and from school. Head teachers, governors and staff will be aware that the actions of pupils outside the school affect the reputation of the school. Schools have the right to discipline pupils for their behaviour outside the school gates where the pupils are in the charge of staff or it is reasonable for the school to regulate the pupils conduct; this rule of law has been clarified and put on a statutory basis by section 90(2)(a) of the Education and Inspection Act Schools should encourage pupils to report such incidents to school staff, and these should be followed up, recorded and reported. If necessary, schools can report the incidents to the police, eg, to the community safety officer. Alternatively, they may work with local multi-agency partners to deal with incidents and prevent them recurring. Schools should also be aware that their pupils can commit racist acts for example, against pupils from other schools, members of the public or against property, on their way to and from school. Schools should record and report these incidents. However, schools should also be aware that the victims of these incidents may prefer to report them directly to the police, who may contact the school for assistance in identification or to provide information. All schools should be aware that pupils can commit a racist act because of another pupil s appearance. Schools must ensure they have a policy covering the wearing of school clothing. The policy may state that certain items must be worn and that other items cannot be worn. Schools are expected to behave reasonably and to consult with parents before introducing a uniform/dress code policy or amend an existing one. Schools must take religious and cultural requirements into account when drawing up a school uniform policy. Where pupils, staff or parents complain about a racist incident committed by staff members, this should be reported to the head teacher and to the governing body of the school. Incidents should be investigated by the head teacher and the chair of governors, and staff disciplinary procedures should be followed as appropriate. Schools should report to the local authority using the appropriate form - this may be different from the form used to record incidents committed against other pupils. Where a complaint is made about an adult who is not a member of staff on school premises, or attending school activities, it must be made to the head teacher and referred to the governing body, and to the police if appropriate. Deal with racist incidents sensitively and appropriately Schools need to be sensitive when tackling racist incidents and incidents of religious hatred. Schools should also be aware of potential gender differences in the form that bullying (including racist bullying) takes. Although there has been an historical trend for girls to tend to bully by psychological means, for example, by excluding others socially, whereas boys tended to use more physical means, there is recent research evidence that girls are becoming more violent when they bully others, and that boys are also turning to psychological means. Schools should be aware of this, and also that refusal to co-operate with others in school work or sharing may be motivated by racism or religious intolerance. Schools need to be sensitive both in dealing with the perpetrator appropriately, and in supporting the victim. In this, schools should recognise the need for a response that is appropriate to the levels of understanding of both the victim and the perpetrator. More information and advice at www. teachernet.gov.uk/racistbullying Serious incidents such as violent assaults, or assaults using weapons, are thankfully rare. However, when serious incidents do occur in school, head teachers, governing bodies or proprietors should report them to

11 Racist incidents guidance 11 the police. Victims and parents also have the right to contact the police if they think a criminal offence has occurred. You can find more guidance on how to deal with serious incidents in School Security: Dealing with Troublemakers (1997), are available from the Teachernet website at teachernet.gov.uk/ Use data to identify what actions you need to take Schools can use the self-evaluation framework to make improvements in all areas of equality, including tackling racist incidents by: implementing an ongoing cycle of monitoring and analysing data; using data to decide what their priorities for improvement are; and then taking action to make those improvements, ensuring the cycle of improvement continues. Collecting accurate data on racist incidents forms part of the first stage in this cycle. The purpose of reporting incidents is to enable the school and the local authority to use the data to identify any emerging trends, e.g. a rise in name-calling, an increase in the number of anti- Semitic or Islamophobic incidents, or an increase in racist incidents in a particular locality or age-group. Data on recorded incidents can also be used alongside other data, such as behaviour audits, self-evaluations, and pupil surveys, towards detecting patterns or problem areas. Once this is done, the school or the local authority can identify the best means of tackling the problem. Local authorities may wish to work with local multi-agency partnerships or with the police, in order to do this most effectively. Further reading/reference Every Child Matters: Change for Children (ECM) Published in November 2004 alongside the formal response to the report into the death of Victoria Climbié, the young girl who was horrifically abused and tortured, and eventually killed by her great aunt and the man with whom they lived. Further information on ECM agenda can be found at: www. everychildmatters.gov.uk/ The Duty to Promote Race Equality (includes the non-statutory guide for schools). The Commission for Racial Equality has produced a statutory code of practice, and four non-statutory guides, to help authorities in England and Wales meet their duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act Each publication is described below. Available at: Code of Practice on Reporting and Recording Racist Incidents This was published in April 2000 by the Racist Incidents Standing Committee. It provides guidelines for local agencies to establish effective

12 Racist incidents guidance 12 procedures and comprehensive systems for the reporting and recording of racist incidents and suggested action to help victims of racism and to deal with perpetrators appropriately. It also encourages information sharing between agencies. Info: Bullying around racism, religion and culture Published in March 2006.Developed in partnership with anti-racist organisations, schools, local authorities, professional associations, community and voluntary sector groups and young people themselves, the guidelines offer suggestions for lessons, staff training and anti-bullying strategies to help schools identify and prevent racist bullying and deal with it robustly should it occur. Info: The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report: Action Plan Published in November 1999 this is now out of print, but is available for download at: DCSF s Ethnic Minority Achievement website The site aims to provide support to LAs and schools by updating you on DCSF work; providing documentation for ethnic background data collection; sharing successful experiences of schools and LAs; and signposting useful links and publications which provide information and research on minority ethnic pupils educational achievement. Info: / Race Equality in education: good practice in schools and local education authorities Published by Ofsted November 2005 this survey report illustrates good practice in work on race equality and education in schools and local authorities in England. Info: Youth Justice Board and the Safer School Partnerships Launched in September 2002, Safer School Partnerships provide a much focused approach to address the high level of crime and anti-social behaviour committed in and around schools in some areas - crime committed by and against children and young people. Info: www. saferschoolpartnerships.org/ The Community Cohesion Standards for Schools Info: haviour/tacklingbullying/racistbullying Useful links Amnesty International: offers school resources and downloadable teaching packs that can be found through a simple search engine. Channel 4: has links to interactive Citizenship and PSHE activities, which are both useful for anti-racist exercises in the classroom. Disability Equality in Education: has a range of resources from teaching packs to books on inclusive education, CDs, DVDs, games and children s storybooks. Institute for Citizenship: features resources, information and case studies for teachers and students. Oxfam: has over 80 resources for schools including publications on racism for teachers to use in the classroom. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority: has some excellent guidance for teachers teaching about racism in the classroom. The Refugee Council: sells publications relating to refugee issues as part of English, History, Geography and Religion. The Runnymede Trust: provides resources for teachers wishing to promote race equality in schools. The linked Real Histories Directory (www. realhistories.org.uk) will help you locate resources that already exist in LEAs such as storytellers, dual language books or culturally diverse toys. You can also add your own resources to the site. For further information please contact: Martin Bull Ethnic Minority Achievement Unit Department for Children, Schools and Families at: martin.bull@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk